Fruit carrier



Dec. 18 i923.

H. J. THOMPSON FRUIT CARRIER Filed Aug. 2, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Deco 18 1923. 'AfiZ H. J. THOMPSON FRUIT CARRIER Y Filed Aug. 2, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fly-@fa lA-TZQZB HQ J. THoMPsoN Bec. l8 w23.

FRUIT CARRIER Filed Aug. 2, 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 gnuemko'o Patented Dec. l, i925.

'BARRY JAYTHOIYIPSON, OF SHN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AZSSIGNOR'TO NATIONAL FIBREFORM COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CAIJFOR-NIA.

FRUIT CARRIER.

' Application leg August 2, .1921. ScrialNo. 489,249.

Z 10 .all whom t may conce/rit.'

Be :it known that I, HARRY J. THOMPSON, a vcitizen of the United States, .residing at San Francisco, inthe county of VSan F rancisco and State of California, have invented .a new and useful Fruit Carrier, of which the following is avspeciiication.

This invention relates ito carriersidesigned for holding fruits such as apples while `being .transported .from place to place, one oi' the objects being to provide molded crate 'fillers or mats formed of' .paper pulp `or a like material suitably Ymedicated whereby the Ifruit is not only `protected from contact with each other and from handing but is also protected against the action of germs and the resultant decay caused by bruising.

Another object Ais te provide mats or iillers which can becompactly nested while in use so that the fruit when held within the containers will require but slightly more space than fruit packed in the usual way.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangementV of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope 'of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown. In said drawings Figure 1 is a plan View of a stack of mats or fillers assembled in nested relation to form a container.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 Figure l.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the recessed face of one of the mats or fillers.

Figure 5 is a plan View sho-wing the back of said mat or filler.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the recessed face of another mat or filler.

Figure 7 is a plan View of the back face thereof.

The container constituting this invention is made up of the two kinds of mats or lillers each of which comprises a sheet of paper pulp or the like molded to proper form and proportions. One of the mats, which has is a section on line 8 3,

been illustra-ted in Figures l and 5, consists of a Hat sheet l having rows of recesses 2 molded therein, the recesses of each `row communicating through vreduced `passages 3 .and Aeach recess Vbeing of a size suitable to hold an apple `or other fruit of the particular grade to -be packed. In the present instance the :sheet l has four recesses ineachseries and, obviously, the same number .of projections or protuberances are prolvided onthe back Itace ot' the sheetas shown at 4 in Figure 5. The other irom of mat used in the container :is formed Vot the same -ki'nd of `material and comprises fiat sheet 5 having series oi depressions G so shaped .and proportioned as .to properly hold fruit -to be packed. These Aseries ot depressions result in the .formation of corresponding projections or protuberances 7 .on `the :back of the sheet, the same being so located that when the back of one sheet 5 is placed on the back of one of the sheets 1 the protuberances 7 will nest between the protuberances 2 as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4c.

Thus it will be seen that after one of the sheets l has been placed with its recesses uppermost. all of the recesses can be tilled with fruit after which another sheet l can be placed with its recesses face lowermost so that the upper portion of the fruit will project thereinto and the two sheets rest one upon the other. A sheet 5 is then positioned on the upper inverted sheet l so that its protuberances 7 will nest between the protuberances 2 as indicated by dotted lines in Figure a. The protuberances on each mat will extend between but will be out of contact with the walls oi' the protuberances on the next adjoining mat. Fruit is then placed within the recesses 6 after which an inverted sheet 5 is placed over the fruit. A sheet 1 is then placed on this upper sheet 5 in the same relative posii tion as the lowermost sheet l and the operation of placing the Sheets and filling them is then repeated as described until a stack of packed i'ruit has been built up to desired proportions.

Before the sheets 1 and 5 are used they are sprayed with a mixture of lime and sulphur which will adhere to the fibrous surfaces of the paper pulp sheets and act as a germicide to prevent rotting of the packed fruit. Obviously any other kind lill) llO of germicide can be used it suitable. Importance is attached to the fact that the bottoms of the recesses of the mats rest flat upon the sheets adjacent thereto. Thus sagging of the material under the Weight of the Jfruit is eliminated and the Jfruits maintained in proper relation to each other during shipment. The recessed portions are supported solely at their bottoms Where they rest between the recesses in the next tray thereunder. The bottom tray of each pair of trays bridges over the protuberances on the next tray therebelow and only touches the lower tray between the protuberances. This is shown in Fig. 3 of the draW- ings. rlhus the sheets of a stack will be free to'flex under the Weight of the housed jfruit and in no instance Will the Weight of the fruit be transmitted direct through the Walls of the recesses to the fruits thereunder. Consequently bruising of the fruits is avoided.

"What is claimed is z- 1. A container Jfor fruit comprising superposed molded mats arranged in pairs, each pair having recesses in one face formed in series, the recesses of each series communicating, one mat of each pair vbeing inverted so that the recessesV in the mats of each pair will match, there being protuberances upon each mat produced by the tormation of the recesses, the protuberances on each mat resting flat onthe mat of the next adjoining pair and between but outV oi contact Withthe Walls Vof the protuber-V ances on said adjoining pairs of mats.

2. A container for fruit comprising superposed molded mats arranged in pairs, each pair having recesses in one tace formed in series, the recesses of each series communicating, one mat of each pair being inverted so that the recesses in the mats of each pair will match, there being protuberances upon each mat produced by the formation of the recesses, the protuberances on each mat resting flat onV a mat of the next adjoining pair and between but out Vor Contact with the Walls of the protuberances on said mat, and a germicide carried by each of the mats. Y Y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my'own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of tivo Witnesses.

HARRY Jar TH'oMPso'NQ vWitnesses:

JENNin L. Biaormr7 MAUD SHAFFREY. 

